The Scoop

Start to the right of Martello Buttress at a second jammed block.âÄàMove up and left into an open shallow scoop where long reaches and rounded breaks give excellent sustained climbing.FA. Rodney Wilson 1959

USER COMMENTS

very very pumpy for hvs on rounded holds which require some long reaches (at least with it did with my technique)tom - 15/May/02

Not as easy as it looks! Quite steep and sustained. Great though!Glen - 07/Apr/03

Once the start is over come then the rest of the route is fairly easy for HVS provided that you are proficient in gritstone mantles on rounded holds. Picking the correct line is essential though.Pete - 29/Apr/03

The crux appears to be a long reach up at half-height from a chalked pinch, but if it's all too much, then an easier alternative is to go left 1m, then up to a set of well chalked holds. Possibly only HVS 5a this way? but still worth 3 stars.Nick Smith - 31/May/03

See the MUMC pamphlet guide from the 50s. It was the other Scoop done then - so this route must have been first done by....... credit where credit's due!The Grizla - 27/Jul/03

It makes no sense to have two routes both called "The Scoop" on the same buttress. Perhaps "The Scoop (Left)" and "The Scoop (Right)"?Gareth Rees - 09/Sep/03

Don't see how the start can be described as the hardest part of the route. It was a piece of the yellow stuff compared to what comes after. Think I set a World record for the slowest lead of this route. I was hanging around below the crux (the 5b reach at the scoop exit) for an hour and a half. Managed to find a really weird position to take some of the weight from my arms and recover from the initial pump (took me around one hour 15 minutes and 3 failed attempts at the crux to find this position - didn't lob off or rest on my gear though). Quality route if you've got the strength and confidence on those rounded breaks. Would definitely recommend to those long-reach gibbons amongst you.James McN - 22/Sep/03

I must have done this route wrong as I didn't find it pumpy. Very reachy though. I started a metre or two right of martello buttress's start, trended left until you are directly above the start of martello buttress and headed straight up. It was smack in the middle of the HVS 5a grade - which is also what my guidebook rates it at. Where does the 5b rating come in?Munir - 15/Jun/04

Soft touch. Only pumpy if you hang about. HVS 5a.Eric - 24/Jun/04

Great route, but I think HVS 5a is a more realistic grade.C.E. Moreton - 06/Apr/05

Bottom section was fine, found the top section was pretty pumpy as, as usual, I took ages to get my gear in.
Got some jams in on one of the horizonal breaks on the top section which helped conserve my arms a bit.MeMeMe - 02/May/05

Frankly, I found this hell. I must be running James close for the slowest lead ever! Thank the lord for the decent-ish hold on the break before the top...my arms totally pumped out and I was pretty much hanging on with my teeth.John_hat - 14/Aug/05

I think the difficulty varies a lot depending on how far left you go at the overlap. if you stay right and reach up over the square overlap then it's 5b. If you sneak off left (next to MB) then it drops a grade.
Top half feels sustained after the 5b bit tho!AlanM - 28/Sep/09

Nice all round grit experience. Pumpy? Apart from the initial moves which are over in 10 secs, you're in balance and on your feet the whole way. 5a.Jon Leighton - 28/Apr/10

Easy with one 5a move, vague line and massively dissapointing for a 3 star route. HVS 5a*mark20 - 26/Oct/11